Eye-popping edible party centerpieces and potluck pleasers made with legendary American brand name products. These festive original recipes reflect the retro sensibility Charles is famous for. Don’t just eat your food, have fun with it too! And serve it up with a great big helping of American pride!

Live Comedy Performance Celebrating 50s & 60s Holiday Life And Style!

Prepare for your Holiday spirit to skyrocket when retro pop culture humorist, Charles Phoenix, propels classic and kitschy Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween and Thanksgiving and into the stratosphere!

Lavishing the very best of his ‘found’ vintage holiday slide collection with his quick-witted commentary and keen eye for oddball detail, Charles supercharges the classic living room slide show into a laugh out-loud roast and toast of holiday fun and frivolity, past and present!

Charles also shares his latest eye-popping food crafting creations, frolicking field trip adventures and “best of” guide to unique local landmarks, lore and much more.

Round up your friends and family and turn this holiday celebration into your party.

Live Comedy Slide Show Performance Celebrating Space Age Automotive Styling

Be prepared for your vintage car lovin’ spirit to soar Ambassador of Americana, Charles Phoenix, takes us on the ultimate ride to the wondrous world of Detroit’s most extreme era of mid-century motoring.

Prepare for your Palm Springs loving pride to swell when Ambassador of Americana and tour guide extraordinaire, Charles Phoenix, leads you on this festive and fun-filled 2.5 hour tour atop a modern double decker, open-air bus.

Departing from CAMP, this exclusive tour is a rare opportunity to experience unobstructed views of over walls and hedges of the legendary residential, commercial and civic landmarks that made Palm Springs world famous for great architecture.

Combining his mid-century expertise and keen eye for detail, Charles shares the legend and lore of dozens mid-century modern buildings and other architectural treasures tracing the history of local modernism.

This is a rare opportunity to experience unobstructed views over walls and hedges of legendary homes and hotels such as the Movie Colony, Vista Las Palmas, Twin Palms, and Racquet Club Estates. See Neutra’s iconic Kaufmann House, the Wexler Steel Homes and the spellbinding homes of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.

Charles also offers insightful shopping, dining and other sightseeing tips! You will never think of Palm Springs the same way again!

MIDTOUR BATHROOM STOP: at the iconic Tramway Gas Station (1963) by Albert Frey, now the Palm Springs Visitors Center.

Tours happen rain or shine.

All seats are on the upper deck and exposed to the elements. Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen are recommended; jackets on cooler days.

Stairs are required to reach the upper deck; all tours are wheelchair accessible on the lower level only.

With the exception of the Tiki-themed rose float I will have the honor and joy of riding on January 2nd, in the 123rd annual Tournament of Roses Parade, this big giant piece of cherry pie has got to be my favorite rose float of all time!

Last week I was invited to share some of my vintage Rose Parade slides on KTLA’s live Rose Parade pre-show. My segment was scheduled at 6:10am. Frankly, I’m not used to getting up that early and I was worried my 1977 SEARS alarm clock that I got while still in high school, wouldn’t go off. Sure enough it didn’t. Thankfully I managed to wake up just in the nick of time. Nearly in a panic, I raced in the dark to Pasadena and found my way to “the set,” on the front lawn of the Tournament of Roses Mansion, the Former Wrigley Chewing Gum Estate. Before I knew it the segment was over and I was free to go.

In the kingdom of Southern Californialand we don’t have a king, but we do have a queen - the Rose Queen. Her reign is brief - just a year. The Queen and her court work their way up through the charm schools and debutant balls of the San Gabriel Valley. The highest call of duty for the bevy of beauties is waving very properly to their subjects and cradling a super-sized bouquet of red roses like a baby while being strapped on a flower covered barge-like vehicle riding toward the morning sunshine of the New Year. Palm trees and crystal clear blue sky provide the picture perfect backdrop.

Happy New Year!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!! Hard to believe it’s Two Thousand FOUR!!! We are living beyond the future!!!

For those of you who attended the Rose Parade I certainly hope that you had a GREAT time!

Speaking of the Rose Parade, last week’s SLIDE OF THE WEEK was one of the most unusual Rose Floats ever, “OUR FIRST QUARREL.” This week’s is the most pitiful rose float ever “The Frost That Kills the Pumpkin!” Can you believe it? Those big ears, that big red nose and all those missing teeth? Orange Gerber daisies have never looked SO bad! It was sponsored by the city of Van Nuys in 1957. And they even misspelled Pumpkin!